Your Rights and Duties as a Buyer Under RERA Section 19: A Stage-by-Stage Guide for Bengaluru

Much of the discussion of RERA in Bengaluru is about the builder: what the promoter must disclose, deposit and deliver. But one section of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 is written entirely about the buyer. Section 19, headed "Rights and duties of allottees", runs to eleven sub-sections. Five give the allottee rights. Five place duties on the allottee, including one that is easy to miss: a deadline to take possession. The remaining one lets the promoter and allottee agree to reduce the payment obligations.

Read together, those eleven sub-sections map neatly onto the life of a purchase, from booking to the day the conveyance deed is registered. This guide walks through them in that order.

The short answer. Section 19 of the RERA Act gives an allottee the right to obtain sanctioned plans and specifications, to know the stage-wise completion schedule, to claim possession as declared by the promoter, to claim a refund with interest and compensation if the promoter fails to give possession as agreed, and to have the necessary documents and plans after possession. In return, it requires the allottee to pay as agreed, to pay interest at the prescribed rate on delays, to participate in forming the association, to take possession within two months of the occupancy certificate, and to participate in registering the conveyance deed. The trade-off: your rights are strongest when your own duties are met, because a builder facing your complaint will look first at your payment record.

What rights does Section 19 give you before and during construction?

In the Gazette of India text of the RERA Act, Section 19(1) says the allottee shall be entitled to obtain the information relating to sanctioned plans, layout plans along with the specifications, approved by the competent authority, and such other information as provided in the Act, the rules and regulations, or the agreement for sale signed with the promoter.

Section 19(2) says the allottee shall be entitled to know the stage-wise time schedule of completion of the project, including the provisions for water, sanitation, electricity and other amenities and services, as agreed between the promoter and the allottee in accordance with the agreement for sale.

These two rights are your information rights. Use them early. A buyer who has the sanctioned plan and the stage-wise schedule in hand can check progress against them, and can spot a problem while it is still cheap to raise. If the plans you receive differ from what you were shown at the sales office, raise it in writing at once, before you pay the next instalment.

What rights apply when possession is due or delayed?

Section 19(3) says the allottee shall be entitled to claim possession of the apartment, plot or building, and the association of allottees shall be entitled to claim possession of the common areas, as per the declaration given by the promoter under Section 4(2)(l)(C), which is the promoter's declaration of the time period within which it undertakes to complete the project.

Section 19(4) says the allottee shall be entitled to claim a refund of the amount paid, with interest at the prescribed rate and compensation in the manner provided under the Act, if the promoter fails to comply or is unable to give possession in accordance with the agreement for sale, or due to discontinuance of business as a developer on account of suspension or revocation of registration. If you would rather stay in the project, the proviso to Section 18(1) provides that an allottee who does not intend to withdraw shall be paid interest for every month of delay, till the handing over of possession, at the prescribed rate.

Section 19(5) says the allottee shall be entitled to have the necessary documents and plans, including those of common areas, after the promoter hands over physical possession. We covered how possession, the occupancy certificate and these documents fit together in our guide to occupancy and completion certificates under RERA.

Note that Section 19(3) gives two different parties two different claims. The individual allottee claims possession of the apartment, plot or building. The association of allottees claims possession of the common areas. Both are measured against the same promoter declaration. That is one reason Section 19(9), the duty to participate in forming the association, matters: the association is the party Section 19(3) names to claim the common areas.

What does Section 19 require of you?

The duties are just as specific. The table sets all eleven sub-sections against the stage of the purchase at which each one matters most.

Section 19(6) says every allottee who has entered into an agreement for sale shall make necessary payments in the manner and within the time specified in the agreement, and shall pay at the proper time and place the share of registration charges, municipal taxes, water and electricity charges, maintenance charges, ground rent and other charges. Section 19(7) makes the allottee liable to pay interest at the prescribed rate for any delay. Section 19(8) says these obligations and the interest liability may be reduced when mutually agreed between the promoter and the allottee.

Section 19(9) says every allottee shall participate towards the formation of an association, society or co-operative society of the allottees, or a federation of the same. Section 19(10) says every allottee shall take physical possession within two months of the occupancy certificate. Section 19(11) says every allottee shall participate towards registration of the conveyance deed as provided under Section 17(1).

How do the rights and duties interact in a dispute?

They meet most often over money and time. If a project is delayed, your Section 19(4) right to a refund with interest is strongest when your Section 19(6) payments are up to date. If you fell behind, the promoter may claim Section 19(7) interest on the delayed amounts. How the two sides' defaults interact in a particular case is for the Authority to weigh on the facts.

The rate of interest that applies to both sides is "as may be prescribed", which means set by the rules made under the Act. We explained how the Act, the state rules and the Authority's regulations fit together in our guide to RERA Act, state rules and regulations.

If you are comparing projects on the north side of the city, our profile of Pavani Mirabilia in Seegehalli is one example of a project page to read alongside the promoter's declared completion date.

What should you keep at each stage?

Each right in Section 19 is easier to use with paper in hand, and each duty is easier to prove you met.

1. At booking, request the sanctioned plans, layout plans and specifications under Section 19(1), and keep the copy you receive.
2. Ask for the stage-wise completion schedule, including water, sanitation and electricity, under Section 19(2).
3. Save the promoter's completion-date declaration under Section 4(2)(l)(C), which Section 19(3) uses as the reference for possession.
4. Pay every instalment and charge on time under Section 19(6), and keep receipts and bank records.
5. If you are late, settle the Section 19(7) interest promptly, or record in writing any reduction agreed under Section 19(8).
6. Take possession within two months of the occupancy certificate under Section 19(10), and collect the documents and plans under Section 19(5).
7. Join the association-forming process under Section 19(9), and attend to the conveyance deed under Section 19(11).

Do these rights pass to a resale buyer?

The definition of allottee helps here. Section 2(d) defines an allottee as the person to whom a plot, apartment or building has been allotted, sold or otherwise transferred by the promoter, and it includes the person who subsequently acquires the allotment through sale, transfer or otherwise. It excludes a person to whom the unit is given on rent.

So if you buy an allotment from an earlier allottee in an under-construction project, you come within the definition, and with it the rights and duties of Section 19. In practice, ask for the seller's full payment record and correspondence with the promoter, because any Section 19(6) arrears or Section 19(7) interest attached to the allotment will matter to you. For more on cancellation risk from missed payments, see our guide to when a builder can cancel an allotment under Section 11(5).

Frequently asked questions

What rights does an allottee have under RERA Section 19?

Section 19 gives the right to obtain sanctioned plans and specifications, to know the stage-wise completion schedule, to claim possession as per the promoter's declaration, to claim a refund with interest and compensation if possession is not given as agreed, and to have the necessary documents and plans after possession.

What are an allottee's duties under RERA?

Section 19 requires the allottee to make payments as specified in the agreement for sale, pay interest at the prescribed rate for delays, participate in forming the association of allottees, take physical possession within two months of the occupancy certificate, and participate in registering the conveyance deed under Section 17(1).

Can the builder and buyer agree to reduce late payment interest?

Yes. Section 19(8) says the allottee's payment obligations under Section 19(6) and the liability to pay interest under Section 19(7) may be reduced when mutually agreed between the promoter and the allottee. Record any such agreement in writing and keep it with your payment records.

Does a resale buyer of an under-construction flat get Section 19 rights?

Section 2(d) defines an allottee to include a person who subsequently acquires the allotment through sale, transfer or otherwise, but not a tenant. A buyer who takes over an allotment from an earlier allottee therefore comes within the definition and the rights and duties of Section 19.

Last updated 2026-11-14. PropNewz Team.